Outdoor Project

The Sea to Sky Corridor is packed full of so many amazing hiking trails that the biggest challenge is often deciding between the seemingly endless options. If this predicament sounds familiar, Ring Lake Trail is one option that should be high on your list. At 20 kilometers round-trip with just under 500 meters of elevation gain, it is a full day hike that is not excessively long; allow between 5 and 8 hours hiking plus time for swimming stops.

Star Chek is a classic Squamish-area rock climbing route that starts at the Cheakamus River and climbs three pitches of granite, each pitch becoming gradually more difficult. The Cheakamus River runs from the mountains in Garibaldi Provincial Park through the Cheakamus Canyon and meets up with the Squamish River just north of the town of Squamish.

The District of North Vancouver and the North Shore Mountain Bike Association have started to build climbing trails on all of the local mountains, giving mountain bikers new routes to get to the top of their favorite trails. Previously, accessing trailheads involved a pedal up the fire road that wasn't too difficult but could be long and boring (depending on the destination). With the introduction of these trails, the route starts and finishes where you park, and it is more challenging.

Whistler has long been one of the most popular meccas of mountain biking on the planet, an environment that encourages people to constantly push the limits of themselves and the sport. Being surrounded by the most talented riders and some of the most challenging and technical trails on earth can be both inspiring and intimidating for people seeking to get into the sport.

An absolute must-see for the aspiring Wasatch adventurer, Lake Blanche Trail is the perfect mix of challenge and accessibility. The ascent is steep, as is the case with many trails in the Cottonwoods, but the reward at the end of the hike keeps a steady stream of people coming to give it a try. Nearly 4 miles up the trail lies a serene lake with a towering peak known as the Sundial. The jagged dual-spire reflecting in the water below creates a unique and breathtaking scene.

Centennial Cone is an amazing cross-country tour through patches of wildflowers, tight singletrack, and beautifully expansive vistas. Long ago this land was settled by homesteaders who left their marks around the park in the form of skeletons of stone chimneys and farm machinery.

Quarry Rock is a short hike located in Deep Cove, just outside of North Vancouver. It's short distance, manageable trail, and rewarding view of the Indian Arm fjord makes it a favorite among many. This trail is fairly popular and can often be extremely busy during the summer and weekends. Most of the vertical is hiked during the first half of the trail, leaving a somewhat leisurely stroll through the woods for the second half. Quarry Rock is the main look out, a great place to look down onto the small town of Deep Cove and watch boats go by.

Although this is not the expansive high alpine ride that typically comes to mind when one imagines the joys of mountain biking in Utah, there are several virtues that make Mountain Ranch Bike Park deserving of your time. Mountain Ranch Bike Park was actually the first park of its kind in Utah. Its construction initiated momentum in trail building advocacy that has enabled mountain biking in Utah to mature into its current form.

Located almost exactly between Vancouver and Squamish and nestled at the very bottom of Brunswick Mountain in the Howe Sound, Porteau Cove is in the heart of Canada's outdoor adventure playground. Porteau Cove was originally established in 1908 as a resource for Vancouver's growing need for sand and gravel. A small group of employees lived there and built a schoolhouse, tennis courts, and a ferry dock for service between Squamish and Vancouver before the introduction of the rail lines.

Little Scraggy is the culmination of over 2.5 years of work by the Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA). Their goal was to connect the far reaches of the park with the rest of the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area trail system and to grant access the southernmost campground.